Antonio Conte likely to pay £38m to Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku’s transfer
The transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea insist on a £38 million departure clause and have made it clear to Napoli that there are no intentions to loan Romelu Lukaku away. Napoli are looking to sign as they prepare to announce Antonio Conte’s hiring.
Fabrizio Romano shed light on Lukaku’s transfer rumours in his exclusive Daily Briefing column for Caught Offside, stating:
“It’s important to mention that Victor Osimhen’s priority as I already told you is still to leave Napoli in the summer transfer window.
Next week he will speak to his camp and assess all the possible options. He’s not going to Chelsea, that’s not a new story for us, it’s my position since May, but there is still movement around Victor Osimhen, so we want to watch how things develop in the next weeks.
Napoli want to replace him with Romelu Lukaku but it’s not going to be easy because Chelsea insists on a £38m fee. The exit clause in his contract at the moment is expensive for Napoli but Antonio Conte wants Lukaku and the club will try to make it happen.
Lukaku also has some interest from Saudi and he spoke very highly of Saudi football recently, so that’s also a possibility for his future.”
Fabrizio Romano, Exclusive Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside
Roma are interested in re-signing Lukaku, who spent last season on loan at the Serie A club where he enjoyed a relatively successful campaign, contributing 21 goals and four assists in 47 appearances across all competitions, but are unable to reach his asking price.
During his time with the Blues, the 31-year-old appeared in only 26 Premier League games and scored eight goals. He is under contract with the west London giants until 2026
The Belgium international has spent the last two seasons away from the club, first with Inter and then with Roma, but the club is desperate to return at least some of the astronomical £98m that they paid for the striker in 2021.
The London club is also willing to consider other teams’ interests, including Saudi.
If Lukaku continues to underperform or does not play often, his market value may fall more. Offloading him now, while there is still interest from teams like Roma or other possible bidders, is a wise decision to avoid additional financial loss.
Offloading him would considerably decrease the club’s pay cost, allowing them funds to invest in new players or renew existing contracts.
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Chelsea will likely attempt to rebuild under the next manager, and with the Belgian striker gone, there will be more flexibility in planning and executing their transfer strategy, letting them focus on bringing in players who share the same vision and approach.
As the Belgian international’s future remains highly uncertain, with fans and officials unhappy with him, it seems clear that his time at Stamford Bridge is coming to an end, capping a turbulent second tenure